The Boundaries of Friendship
by holydarknessrising
Summary: In an Alternate Universe Kingdom Hearts World (XD) Wakka and Tidus were the best of friends, until the heartless and the destruction of their world seperated them. Now reunited, that line is getting fuzzy, Wakka with his discovery of feelings, and Tidus w


I'm back, with a vengeance! This is actually a role-play between my friend and I, but it was so great that we decided it needed to be uploaded, and there are several boards, so it has chapters already! **Bold** is Tidus, plain text is Wakka, and _italics _are thoughts. And yes, this is set in the Kingdom Hearts universe, though it's AU. Tidus is 15, Wakka is 18. And um... Please comment! And another thing, Wakka refers to Tidus as Tida, used here as a nickname showing endearment and friendship. Now on with the story!

* * *

How long had it been since he'd seen last seen the timeless surf crest into the ever-changing sand of the beach? Since he'd heard it? Since he'd smelt it? Since he'd _felt_ it? Wakka couldn't remember. There had been no way to keep track of time there, and he'd been much too busy to try. He had to protect his life from the heart-hungry demons of the shadows. He'd been alone, all alone, in the great darkness with the large doors...  
  
He could remember it all so clearly, the time of imprisonment he'd been through in the darkness, without another human soul for company. It had been so horrible; he'd lost his appetite and was wasting away to nothing... He had hardly been recognizable when the worlds had split, and he brought back home. His red hair in his face, his muscles lean and gaunt, his face hollowed. Even his rosy-tan had left until he was a pallid yellowish shade. His brown eyes had lost their sparkle.  
  
Each night, he had lay in the long grass, under the shelter of the tree, the forces of nature seemingly protecting him from those... monsters. He gazed up into the starry sky, watching each star blink out of existence, until none were left, and he cried as he did so. Alone, cold, hungry... He was without friends. He'd never been alone before, not like this. And as he cried, he repeated his name over and over. "Tida... Tida..."  
  
Then one night - or was it day? The sky never changed - millions of lights began appearing in the sky, the stars were returning. Wakka knew nothing of what they were, or what was happening, but he took it as a good omen. The ground began to shake, and other parts separated, but not where he was... Only land in the darkness did. And there were two figures... Two that looked so familiar, yet from his distance, he couldn't. Then there was light, blinding, in its purist form. It blinded him, and he fell unconscious, but right before he fell asleep, he noticed the feel of sand under his head... Where was he?  
  
When he next opened his eyes, he was home. Well, not home exactly, but he was on the Destiny Islands, and there was Tida. He looked the same, maybe older and definitely stronger, but the same. Crawling to the water, he knew that he wouldn't. His reflection was someone else. He looked sickly, and he wouldn't let Tida see him. He got up and ran to his boat, still tied to the dock, and he rowed to the main island, to his home. He ran inside, hugging his parents, and then allowed his mother to fuss over him.  
  
Over the following weeks, he regained his strength, eating heartily, and helping around the house, but he wouldn't see anyone, especially Tida. The phone would ring, he'd allow his mother to answer it before he would, and sometimes, he might talk to a friend, but he would always decline the invitations to the island. He did not want them to see him the way he was. It was vain he knew, but his pride was too valuable to him. Then there would be times the doorbell would ring, and he'd run to his room, hearing the voices of his friends, but letting his mother turn them away. He still wasn't ready.  
  
It had been five weeks, and he looked back to normal, his skin was again its chestnut tint, and his figure no longer skeletal. He woke up early, saying goodbye to his parents - it was so early that even his father hadn't left for work - and he set off to the docks. He got into his boat, noting that it had the feel it always had, and grabbed the oars. He rowed to the destiny islands, and went to the back to moor. If they didn't see his boat, they wouldn't think he was there. And his mother was under instruction to say he was sick. He ran to the Seaside Shack, hiding inside and peeking through the wooden slats until everyone was there. He stepped out, making his grand entrance... And then...  
  
He'd gone to the beach to sit and stare out at the ocean, just to feel, see, hear, and smell the gentle rolling of the surf...

* * *

**_Ka-splash_  
  
A rock skipped across the churning waves, the force behind it rather half-hearted. The independent stone bounding about five or six paces, before sinking beneath the ocean in surrender.  
  
_Sploosh_  
  
Another rock clutched in his gloved hand, as the older, and presumably more mature Tidus grunted angrily. Fingers tightened around the uneven object, his arm whipping back, and whipping it past the bent paopu tree, and out into the ocean. The flat rock skipped eleven times, before finally plunging into the water. Tidus' blue eyes followed its progress, before swinging angrily to the ground.  
  
At that moment, he felt he, too, needed to plunge beneath those waters. Swimming always made him feel better when he was in a bad mood.... but he feared for the wound on his upper-arm gained in the confusion of climbing a tree yesterday. The salt would kill if it filled the cut. Blue eyes slid shut, a gruff sigh of irritancy brushing over tanned lips. Tidus kicked lightly at the paopu-tree's innocent roots in anger.  
  
Why wasn't Wakka talking to him? Or the others? Ever since returning from Kingdom Hearts, he seemed to have just cut off from the world entirely.  
  
Exactly what was his problem? Was he afraid to see his friends that missed him for so long because of their reactions?  
  
Tidus aimed another kick at the tree, this time, propelling himself backwards into the sand by accident. "Ouch." He muttered, running gloved fingers through his platinum hair, and frowning.  
  
"What did I do...?" He muttered, his face blanching as he gazed across the ocean. He'd missed his friend dearly, and now he was simply refusing to as much look at him? It didn't make any sense. It was both worrying, and frustrating at the same time.**

* * *

He heard the rocks splashing, and the kicking... and the sounds of frustration. He'd never known Tidus to be this way... So what was wrong with him? Was Wakka causing his best friend to behave in such a manner? Did... did Wakka's silence trouble the younger boy? The red head's gaze shifted and he watched the teenager kick the tree and fall back. He stifled a laugh.  
  
Standing, he dusted the warm white sand off his white pants, and shook his foot until there were no more pins and needles. He slowly started his way to the seaside shack. He silently opened the door, closing it behind him, and he walked up the wooden stairs, coming out on the ledge across from the paopu tree's island. His footsteps were heavy in his sandals, drumming on the wood slowly. _Thud... Thud... Thud..._ Until the noise of his footfalls was muffled by yellow-white sand.  
  
"Tida... What's wrong, brudda?" asked a tenor voice, husky with confused emotion. The brown eyes under red-brown brows glimmered in the light reflected off the blue ocean, filled with warm concern and a hint of sadness. Had he been the one to cause the boy's aggressions?

* * *

**_"Tida... What's wrong, brudda?" _  
  
Tidus, in the midst of tossing another rock into the ocean, froze. A pair of blue eyes poked up over the blonde's shoulder staring towards the source of the accented voice. Like he had to look to know who belonged to it, however. Blue eyes widened as they fell upon Wakka's redhead, and trailed slowly down to his confused face. The rock fell from Tidus' fingertips, and he relaxed into a straight-standing position.  
  
For that one moment, Tidus stared, completely dumbstruck. But, then the next moment he exploded with emotion. Half of him wanted to run to his friend, and tackle him-and the other half wanted to scream his head off at the redhead. He however, ended up doing a strange combination of them both. Lurching forewords, Tidus quickly stopped himself, his tanned visage burning up with his trademarked mulishly angry expression.  
  
"Why did you avoid me!" He asked, no, rather, demanded. He couldn't keep himself from yelling; for so long he'd been frustrated, and worried about what had happened to his friend, without getting a word of his 'condition.' And now, here he stood, as though nothing had happened. That really was the straw that broke the camel's back. Tidus' nerves broiled beneath his skin, his gloved hands clenching at his sides.  
  
A little, nagging voice suddenly began to well within the teen. He shouldn't be yelling at Wakka. Wakka was his -friend-. What was wrong with him? Why was he yelling?**

* * *

He had expected to be chided, since he was apparently the source of his friend's frustration, yet he hadn't expected the gesture that had -almost- occurred. His heart began to pound in his chest. "Tida..." he started, but stopped. There was a better way to say this. He sat on the ground to think, striking the sand once with his fist.  
  
"Dammit, Tida... I wanted to see you! You... it was hard, ya? I... I didn't want you to see me; the way I was... it was bad, brudda... I was sick, real sick. I hadn't eaten for a long time... I was just trying to get back to the way I was..." his voice wasn't exactly stable. The emotions he was feeling had been pent up; he was angry with himself. Depressed from not having seen them... Hurt because at the moment, his best friend didn't seem to like him anymore...  
  
His eyes misted with unshed tears, but he was determined to appear strong. He was older, he couldn't cry... He was a man now. "Tida... When I was away from you, it was the hardest thing that had ever happened to me, ya... I missed you..."

* * *

**As Tidus listened to Wakka, his expression softened almost instantly. It wasn't much as what Wakka said that saddened Tidus, it was more of the way he said it... as though the situation he spoke of pained him more greatly than anything else. And, slowly, the anger began to drain out of the blonde's body, his fists slowly unclenching, and his face untensing from it's angry expression.  
  
"Wakka..." He began, but allowed his red-haired friend to continue. And, when he was finished, Tidus fixed his friend with a pitying, and sympathetic gaze. "I'm sorry," He murmured, gazing towards the ground, a faint blush forming across the bridge of his nose due to his own idiocy, "I shouldn't have yelled..." Peering up, his blue eyes fixed upon Wakka, and filled with sorrow, and yet, a slight worry.  
  
"You are, okay. though, right?" He asked, frowning seriously. That was the best friend thing to ask. But what he did next, reached beyond that level. Without waiting for an answer, Tidus walked up to his friend, and threw his arms rather haphazardly about Wakka's tanned neck. He encircled the teenager tightly in an embrace, and squeezed his eyes shut. Blonde hair draped over Tidus' closed blue eyes, his brows furrowed slightly. What would Wakka do now? Push him away? He didn't care...he'd missed Wakka very much...  
  
"I missed you too.." He muttered, bowing his head slightly over his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry.." he apologized again, but not knowing what for. Drawing away, Tidus gazed down at his friend with blue eyes that now revealed the sorrow, and fright his friend had truly seen, but had kept hidden away during the time of Kingdom Hearts. A faint smile formed upon tan lips, quickly dashing away that strange, and most un-Tidus-like sadness, before it quickly returned again. A futile effort in an attempt to lighten the conversation.  
  
"I tried to find you..." The blonde peered at the bark of the paopu tree, his eyes tracing along the naturally-grained lines as though looking at his friend sealed his guilt, and pained him, "I really... did." He muttered, bowing his head, small sections of blonde hair falling messily across his forehead. Tanned arms lightly curved about his own chest, in something of what seemed to be a self-protective embrace.  
  
This grudge he held with himself about not being able to find his friend, was that the meaning behind his anger? He was angry with _himself?_ ...Maybe.**

* * *

He heard Tidus speak, an apology coming from his tanned lips, and the older teen just smiled. _Tida... You always know how to make things right..._ thought the redhead to himself, his grin growing larger. And then- strong arms were around his neck, something unexpected. Tidus was... hugging him? He nearly fainted from the shock. His best friend had never hugged him.  
  
Strong tan arms wrapped around the younger boy, Wakka feeling at home in this embrace, his breathing that had been ragged from shock quickly calmed. "I'm okay, brudda... You don't have to worry about me." It was the best friend answer, not what one would say in a slightly new, more-than-best-friend situation, but what else was Wakka to say? He felt the blond pull away and reluctantly released him. How long had that lasted? _Only a minute..._ thought the red-head bitterly.  
  
_'I tried to find you...'_  
  
Wakka smiled. "I knew you would, ya? But you couldn't have found me... I don't even know where I was... It was the blackest darkness... But... I'm happy that you looked, brudda..." His voice was warm, and his arms were uncomfortable. What to do with them? Hold them stiffly at his sides? Place them on his hips? Wrap Tidus in a gentle hug? The line was blurred now. He didn't know how far to crossing it he was, or if he already had.  
  
Seeing Tidus embrace himself saddened Wakka. He longed to approach the blonde, to wrap him in a real hug, but... Would that be too much? What exactly was too much now? Again the question of the barriers of friendship was raised. What was happening? "Tida..." whispered Wakka.

* * *

**The smile reappeared on Tidus' face as his bowed head pointed to the ground and he stared at the dirt almost as though he were studying it diligently. That made him feel leagues better knowing that Wakka had forgiven him for not being able to find him.  
  
Looking up, Tidus allowed his arms to drop easily to his sides again, and grinned over at Wakka. This semi-dramatic mood-swing was rather unexpected, but, knowing Tidus, it was difficult for him to stay down for too long, especially in the presence of his best friend. There was just something about him that always just slapped that silly Tidus smile right back onto his lips whenever he tried to fathom whatever it was about Wakka that made him happy. Trying to figure out what it was was like trying to discover how large the universe was; impossible. He'd never know, all he was allowed to know, ever, was that they relied on each other to be happy. That was all Tidus really needed to know, anyways.  
  
"Thanks, Wakka... It was stupid of me... holding a grudge...." He smiled broadly, hands slapping to his hips, a trademark that having been through hell and back hadn't altered at all.  
  
The smile faltered slightly, however, as Wakka addressed him with a whisper. "Yeah?" The blonde replied, his tone rather obliviously unchanged from its former loudness. The smile returned again as he watched Wakka, wondering what he had to say. **

* * *

Tidus's reply wasn't expected; he had simply been saying the boy's name, not addressing him. He hadn't meant for his best friend to hear. _I musta forgotten how well he could hear, ya?_ Red hair swayed in a breeze. He looked up into the deep blueness of Tidus's eyes. How could he say anything now? What _would_ he say now? Since Tidus had heard him, he had to say something...  
  
"When I was alone... you were what kept me going. I kept thinking, 'I have to see him again...' And now, that I'm here, with you... I don't know what to do..." All in a whisper, his face was flushed. Was that something he should have said? The teen could barely believe he'd said it. Something so personal... Something one would write in a journal, something one _had_ written in a journal. But, what would the blonde do now? Run away? Shun him forever?  
  
If that happened, there would be no thought to keep him going.

* * *

**The words that fell from Wakka's lips caught the blonde guardian to be, pun intended, off-guard. He glanced up at Wakka, his blue eyes filled with a sort if 'innocently shocked' expression. His dark eyebrows arched slightly above his eyes, his mouth, however, remaining closed. Inwardly, however, it dropped straight to the ground. Was this a declaration of some sort? Tidus blinked, and tilted his head slightly, unaware that his reaction was probably causing intensive emotional damage. He just couldn't fathom quite yet what Wakka had put behind those words. It just simply didn't seem to absorb into him, the statement merely rebounded off Tidus by the seal of confusion that surrounded him.  
  
"Don't know what to do..." Tidus repeated, although the voice that breeched his lips was hollow sounding. It was difficult for him to find words, and when he did find any, they were idiotic. He still hadn't quite gotten over Wakka's intense, previous statement. It had filled his mind with a faint buzzing, in which he was enable to piece two thoughts together, in order to speak like a normal human being.  
  
"Well maybe..." Tidus answered, biting on his bottom lip, and chewing it slightly. His gaze trailed away from Wakka, and to the beach. My goodness, this was awkward. For once, the impulsive Tidus was unsure of how to handle a situation. And in this case, he didn't even seem to know how. "How about lunch?" He offered, shrugging, almost idiotically oblivious to how hurtful he must be sounding to the receiving end. "I could tell you about my travels..." He tempted, grinning.  
  
The statement had deflected off him, completely. Tidus' mind had chosen to ignore it entirely.  
  
He was oblivious.**


End file.
